


What About Us?

by thatdragonchic



Series: How I Imagined It [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Based on a Tumblr Post, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Lydia/Malia friendship, Some fluff too, Stydia, hinted marrish, lydia/malia/kira friendship, past stalia, stydia endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-27
Updated: 2016-06-27
Packaged: 2018-07-18 16:22:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7322305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatdragonchic/pseuds/thatdragonchic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lydia was just trying to make Stiles Jealous but she ended up breaking his heart</p>
            </blockquote>





	What About Us?

**Author's Note:**

> SO what happened to this is apparently that the emoji I had next to Stiles contact name was interfering with the rest of the text, how absurd is that? pretty weird but okay! Here it is! Finally!   
> Part two of the series will be coming soon but posted separately

It had been a passive remark that bordered on flirty and sweet, he had that kind of soft smirk and she wondered what he was getting to. She’d seen him smile at Malia like that once or twice, but she never seemed to catch the meaningful smiles when presented to her- the heartbroken eyes, the want that seemed to ooze from him whenever he was with her- not a sexual want though, just a want. A want to be with her. A want to hold her. A want to call her his. And okay, maybe also a sexual want, but that wasn’t the only want he had in mind. Lydia found it endearing, the smile, though at an offhand chance of making him a little jealous, maybe seeing how he’d react to a the idea of her with other guys- she decided maybe to remark against his comment… for fun of course. 

_ Wouldn’t be nice to do this all the time? _

“I tend to do this and a little more with Jordan most nights of the week,” she teases and she immediately catches how the smile disappears and how he shifts uncomfortably on his stomach on the bed, Lydia looking up from her place on the floor. 

“I’m sure you have a lot of fun,” he remarks, almost bitterly. This was going so well, did she really not like him that much that she had to remark her sex with other guys? That was  _ not  _ the answer he was looking for. 

“Jordan’s a nice guy-” she tries to amend.

“Yeah he’s  _ nice.  _ I’m sure he’s a great time, Lydia.”

“That’s not what I meant-”

“I know what you meant-”

“No you don’t!”

“I do! You’ve made it really, very obvious. Okay?”

“What am I making obvious?” 

Stiles rolls his eyes. “I think you have a valid enough idea.”

Lydia bites her lip, she didn’t think he’d get so  _ upset  _ about it. Though it made her mad that he thought he had a say over who she was with, that it upset him so much as if she belonged to him or something (was she misinterpreting this? She must be.) “I can be with whoever I want.”

“Yeah you’ve made good work of letting me know that my entire life. I’m not stopping you from being with anybody.” He might as well just stop thinking of her completely. 

“Excuse me?”

“I can’t get close to you without you warning me off. Jackson I understood, I was nothing to you then. Then Aiden happened but you were flirting with me the entire way through, so I thought okay maybe this is going somewhere. Then when Malia and I weren’t official, you had that chance-”

“I was giving  _ you _ a chance!” 

“And I thought maybe she just needs some space. And now you’re with a cop who’s six years older than you-” 

“What’s wrong with that?”

“It’s a big difference! He could hurt you.”

“Jordan would never hurt me!” 

“Alright, fine, go on about your way with it. I guess it doesn’t affect me, considering I guess I had no offhand pretense of said relationship and god forbid I tried to flirt with you. I’m obviously  _ undeserving.  _ But it doesn’t matter, I should have known better.”

Really he might burst into tears the moment she left. Then he protested against it, he was stronger than  that. Lydia looked at him with hurt but strengthened up, if she was going to cry over him- he definitely didn’t deserve to see it. Or know that she was crying over it.

“Than I guess it wouldn’t matter if I left either then, huh?”

“You seem to do that a lot when it concerns me.”

“I’ve never left you behind.”

“I’ve never left  _ you  _ behind. Everybody leaves me behind when somebody better comes along. I’m sure Parrish is waiting for you at home, maybe you shouldn’t keep him waiting,” he bit. It pained her, it did, she thinks she never should have said it and maybe they’d have kissed or something and been through sweet I love you’s and what not. That wasn’t the case, it seemed that right now, he wanted anything but to be around her- she broke his heart. And she never even meant it. She didn’t even really know that it would hurt that much, she’s still not aware that he’s more hurt than he is angry. 

“I’m leaving,” she declares.

“I’m not surprised.”

She feels her insides cringe but doesn’t try to mend things- it was a bit late for that now, so she grabs her books and stuffs them into her bag angrily, she opens his bedroom door and slams it shut behind her, he can hear her stomping down the stairs. He bites back his tears, and when he’s sure she’s gone, he lights a cigarette to release at least some of the tension weighed in his chest.  _ Better than overdosing on adderall  _ he allows himself to think- because sure he used to over medicate but he stopped when Scott started catching on that he was using his medication more to get high than to fix the problem. Maybe it was something he was never caught doing and smoking was no better habit, but to one evil can’t be killed without another replacing it.

Stiles hopes his lungs set on fire anyways. 

 

It doesn’t help that it’s the following day, after a full day of ignoring each other, when Lydia is sitting with Jordan, flirtatiously giggling and hand gesturing as she tells him about the research on hellhounds that she’s acquired. Of course, Stiles had already been there, due to helping his dad and starting to train in law enforcement as of late. Though he didn’t expect her to be there, to be in  _ his _ space, taunting him, showing him what Jordan could have and what he very specifically couldn’t. They would never be that. And of course she was flirting. Of course she seemed happy. Of course she seemed to want to be with anybody but him. She meets his eyes, but he looks away, missing the hurt and guilt that flash her eyes; turning on his heels, he walks away with the papers he’s holding, taking them to Deputy Hal instead of Parrish. Parrish was  _ busy _ .

He hands them to the Deputy before moving to go back to the office with his dad, though he doesn’t say anything and when his dad hands him papers for Parrish, specifically Parrish, Stiles almost wants to puke. He can still  _ hear  _ her and he doesn’t want to see her. 

“Whats with the look?”

“Nothing.”

He snatches the papers and the Sheriff reels a little at his son's aggression, eyes narrowing. Though Stiles leaves before he can be questioned, the door shutting softly behind him and he walks over to Parrish. “These are for you,” he tells him and Lydia looks up at him, expectedly. He glances towards her and puts on a dis _ gusting _ ly fake smile before greeting her. “Hi Lydia.”

“Stiles.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Well I’m not here for you.”

“I think I acquired that, actually. I wouldn’t expect you to be, thanks for the sentiment though.” 

They both turn from each other and Parrish seems confused before Lydia is back to talking to him about whatever it was she was talking about- he didn’t really care, but if such a beautiful girl was talking, he wouldn’t mind admiring her while she talked. Stiles thinks he catches Parrish’s eyes glance a little too low along her chest and he wants to knock him cold. Though he doesn’t and he ignores it before going back to the office (if Lydia wanted that kind of guy, she could have him) and taking up whatever mystery there is to be solved and takes it to his own little room with a board. He isn’t seen for the rest of the night. Piecing one thing with another thing, red string, green string and a few bits of blue (because it was pretty and blue was nicer than green sometimes) though every connection ended up being undone and he can’t seem to think, it’s like his mind is totally vacant and nothing really makes sense. 

His dad comes in around 2 Am to tell him he was going home.

“I think you should come home too Stiles.”

“Dad I’m a little busy.”

“Whatever this is, whatever you're going through, it’s not going to disappear or get solved by hurting yourself.”

“I’m not hurting myself.”

“Staying up all night is hurting yourself. You’re going to feel like a bag of bricks in the morning.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Stiles come on bud, come home.”

“I’ll be home in a few hours.”

“Hours? It’s two in the morning.”

“I have almost perfect attendance, serve for a few days when Scott needed me to leave to help him. Otherwise, I should be fine. I could miss one more day.”

“Stiles…”

“Or I’ll just go in an hour late, it’s no big deal.” 

“Wanna tell me what’s up?”

“Nothing’s up.”

The Sheriff sighs and moves to pull his son from the board but Stiles pulls back. “I’m fine, Dad,” Stiles insists. “I’ll be home by five.”

“I think you should come home now.”

“I won’t be going to bed any sooner.”

“But you will be more comfortable.”

Stiles sighs and he nods, staring at the board, trying to piece one thing to another one last time. It wasn’t dread doctors or rampant chimera’s, but this was something he knew, it was…He just couldn’t make sense of it-  _ or anything else, _ he couldn’t help but add. He thinks he must be losing his touch but stiles caps the marker and he takes some strings down that he knows are uncertain. Then he sighs, grabs his phone and his keys, he goes home with his dad. 

Though walking inside the house makes him feel no better than it might have any other time, he just feels achy and hurt and sort of empty, like his guts and his heart and his lungs and everything that was contained inside him were removed- he almost wonders if Lydia feels the same before he remembers how she was smiling before: she was fine. He had no affect on her whatsoever. He didn’t hurt her, he didn’t leave her hanging, she got up and she was fine. Why couldn’t he be fine? Stiles moves up the stairs with heavy sort of steps and makes his way to the bathroom. He opens the window and he runs the water for the tub. He adds some of his aloe body wash to add to the bath and he lets it fill. Once he’s stripped, he sinks in it, watching the water fill over him. He doesn’t quite fit like he used to, and it further depresses him to think of because when he did fit in the bath, his mother was there to care for him.

He thinks that maybe if she were here now, she would walk in the room and brush back his hair and kiss his forehead. Maybe he would have told her that he got in a fight with Lydia and that he doesn’t know why he’s so hung up on a girl that would never love him anyways. His mother might smile her gorgeous, award winning smile, and she might have told him he’d be fine. Stiles thinks that maybe he’d never be fine because it didn’t matter how much his dad told him he would be, it would alway sound better coming from his mom. His very dead mom. He’s stupid for hanging onto that as well, for thinking she could ever come back after ten years. He needs to let things go- but his mom and Lydia were two things of many things he couldn’t let go and it overwhelms him. He could never have either and it was stupid to think he could. Sinking into the bath he sniffles, he doesn’t even feel hurt anymore, he just feels empty. 

He ends up getting out around 3 AM and just pulls on blue boxer briefs before curling up under soft, grey covers. He wakes up around 9 and calls the school, explaining he was helping his dad and they give him an excused late. He pulls on a black sweatshirt with white print (it reads “mind on my money money on my mind”) and black skinny jeans. He pulls on his NIKE black high top sneakers, the one he rarely wears with the silver, metallic looking band around the ankles and he puts on his fitbit along with some band bracelets that he likes to wear occasionally. He looks cooler than he feels, he puts sunglasses for effect, also it’s very bright outside. He goes downstairs and since his dad isn’t home, he pops two extra adderall pills just to wake him up a bit more. He makes himself coffee and puts it in his to go cup (the one that bulges out at the top and then slims on the bottom and read “I’m a cool dad” as a gift from Scott- it was some weird inside Joke that he couldn’t remember anymore, though he vaguely remembers it having to do with a kid Harvey), cream until it was a medium color and four sugar. Stiles grabs his keysand goes to school, he walks into forensics with a pass ten minutes late, hands in his assignment and joins his group for the next one.

A girl named Carly, a junior that was still about 16 years old and would be until October, was the highlight of his attention. “I don’t get it,” she declares.

“It’s not hard,” Stiles tells her. 

“Well the class periods almost over, you don’t think you could explain the assignment to me during lunch, do you?”

“Sure just come and find me,” Stiles says, smiling half heartedly and she beams, which makes him really smile. She was so innocent, it almost hurt him. Though he smiles back and then continues filling out his own worksheet and analysis papers. 

 

Lydia on the other hand had been in Biology with Scott and Kira. She couldn’t help it when she checked her phone screen every two minutes, or jumped every time it buzzed. Stiles hadn’t been texting her when she was so  _ used  _ to him texting her. She was expecting a ‘good morning’ or a complaint on a class or a teacher. Even an ‘I’m so tired’ would have sufficed, she could even take a long worded rant on how he was angry with her. But every time she checked, ' _ Stiles'  _ simply wasn’t there, it was all but absent on her phone screen. His likes weren’t in her instagram feed, the name wasn’t anywhere in the people who’ve snapped her, he hasn’t texted her. He wasn’t talking to her. He was full out ignoring her. And she thinks that maybe she deserves this or that maybe she didn’t need his approval and that she was angry at him too. She was the one that should be ignoring him, not checking for his name every time she got a chance.

It was pathetic. It was a low blow. She didn’t need him and he certainly seemed not to want to fix things with her, so it was suppose to be no big deal. One more class period then lunch- maybe he wouldn’t be at lunch and even if he was she could ignore him. 

It was easy jetting through the next period- it was her graphic design period and she's calmed by moving a pen against paper, creating her new t-shirt design for the class before she would transfer it to the computer sometime later this week. It was a calming mix of events and she almost forgot that Stiles was ignoring her until her phone buzzed and her heart stopped, only to see that Stiles name was on her phone, but it was a message sent to the pack group chat and he was talking with Liam, not looking for her attention at all.

_ txt: fr Liam: that's not a real thing Stiles _

_ txt: fr Stiles: What do you think it is? Fake _

_ txt: fr Liam: yes _

_ txt: fr Stiles: shouldn't you be paying attention in class? _

_ txt: fr Liam: shouldn't you? _

_ txt: fr Stiles: I'm a senior with perfect grades, got nothin on me _

_ txt: fr Lydia: he's right you should be in class _

_ txt: fr Liam: yeah yeah you two act like my parents sometimes _

 

Stiles didn’t enter the chat again, though she did occasionally text back between Kira, Scott and Liam- who refused to focus on his work. Stiles was completely vacant though, his name didn’t pop up on her screen again and what would have been a witty remark back a couple days ago, resulted in silence today. It killed Lydia from the inside out. She never dreaded hearing the lunch bell as much as she did when it rang. 

 

Walking outside, Stiles dropped his bag and settled in his normal seat at the edge of the table, Scott joining with a bag of food he bought during his previous period in study hall. 

“I got you a feel better bagel with extra cream cheese, a milkshake and chips.”

“Why? I’m fine.”

“Right, and I’m an omega.”

“Scott-”

“Stiles you’re a horrible liar. Also I have like super powers bro.”

“They are not  _ supe _ rpowers, never call them that again.”

Scott grins and nudges him. “Wanna tell me what this is about?”

“Not really,” Stiles mumbles, putting on his sunglasses. “Okay rate me, how sexy do I look today?”

“Hot college frat boy that’s hungover and plays on the baseball team hot.”

“I’m literally on fire.”

They both laugh and Stiles takes his bagel from Scott. “Awww you even got me rye with sun dried tomato cream cheese! That’s friendship.”

Scott laughs. “You did the same for me when Kira left those few months ago… except it was ten at night with a pizza.”

“A really good meat lovers pizza.”

“Where’d you get it by the way?”

“I don’t  _ know.  _ I was driving home from the gym out in the Pinckney Falls when I saw it and stopped by. They were worth it though.”

“That’s true. I still don’t believe you go to the gym, there has to be an arcade or like a secret dork society or something there. Definitely  _ not  _ the gym.”

“I am not this ripped by nature Scotty boy.”

Scott made a choking sound from the back of his throat in disbelief. “You are not ripped.”

“I have abs for days-”

“I need proof,” Liam cuts in as he joins them with Malia at the table. “Kira isn’t going to be here until later, by the way. She’s working on something.” 

“I couldn’t tell from the forty times she said it,” Malia commented and Stiles smiled at them, the silver metal rims of his sunglasses catching the light.

“Dude you look hot,” Mason tells him as he approaches the table. “I found a paper about the mayan social structure and thought you’d want to read it, so I printed it out.”

Mason gives him the paper and Stiles thanks him putting it away in his bag, Carly approaching and waiting for him to look up when she reaches the table. He blinks behind his glasses but smiles duly.

“Hey Carly.”

“Hey, this isn’t a bad time is it?”

“Not at all. What did you need?”

The girl laughs, almost as if she were flirting and the entire table looks to Stiles interested, who seems very uninterested though keeps his dully lit smile on for show. “I just needed help with the analysis questions.”

“They’re not hard, just weirdly worded,” he starts to explain, pulling out his own packet.

 

Lydia exits the door from the cafeteria with her lunch bag and a couple books, and already from across the courtyard she could see somebody in Stiles seat with a girl she recognized to be a junior who gushed about the senior boys all the time. Though she didn’t know who the boy was, at least, not that she could tell.  Who was he and why was he sitting where Stiles always sits? The boy in all black and sunglasses seemed vaguely familiar to her as she walked closer to the table, his shaking leg, his absent smile and when she’s close enough to hear his voice she realizes it’s Stiles. 

But it’s not Stiles, it can’t be Stiles. Stiles doesn’t look cool like that or nearly so pale, and Stiles doesn’t wear sweatshirts over plaid unless he’s home, and he certainly would never wear a pair of Nike’s over his favorite pair of Vans. But yet, she could recall him wearing every article of clothing, she can tell the sweatshirt is the one that looks a little too big on him and is really cute- he wore it to movie night once and he kept slapping Scott with the sleeve. She could recall him wearing those sneakers once when they went out to a party after the game and he had put on a nice dark denim button up with ivory colored buttons. Those sunglasses were his favorite ones and he put them on at every chance he got. It was Stiles but he was not put together like Stiles- he looked like a totally different person.

And she can hear him talking to Carly, who is flirting relentlessly with him and she thinks even Malia is passive about it, though it boils Lydia’s blood that he’s so easily shrugged her off since yesterday and was now flirting with a younger girl.

“If you want you can come over to my house later to study and I can help you?” He offers cooly, and Scott has a slight proud smirk on his face and Stiles just innocently half shrugs at the girl who beams and nods.

“Sure-” she writes her number down on his palm. “Text me.” Then she grabs her books and skitters away to go back inside to her own table. 

“You asked out a younger girl?” Lydia inquires bitterly.

“She’s barely a year and a half younger than me, I reckon that’s not as bad as fucking a cop that’s six years older than you.”

“You have no say in who I fuck.”

“And you have no say in who I ask out.”

“I never-”

“ ‘You asked out a junior?’ ” he mocked her, picking up his backup in the process and standing. “I think I’m going to go to the library,” he then dismisses as if she had no retaliation, only taking the shake before turning to leave, walking away with more confidence than he should be able to muster. Scott packs the stuff, him, Liam and Mason following their unhappy friend. 

“Uhm… Do I need to ask?” Malia prodded after a few minutes as Kira slipped to sit across from them at the table.

“Where’d everybody go?” She asked.

“The library,” Lydia said in a suspiciously calm tone.

“Her and Stiles are… not in a good place. They had a bit of a fight.”

“It wasn’t a fight!” she snaps suddenly. 

“Oh… okay,” Kira rushed. “I’m sure it’s nothing right?”

Lydia frowned at that, looking away. “It’s not nothing. He hasn’t talked to me, or  _ really _ talked to me, in three days.”

“Why?” Malia asked. “I thought you said he still really liked you? I can tell that he still really likes you… except for well five minutes ago…”

“Yeah what happened?” Kira prodded and Lydia shrugs.

“He might have been flirting and I just wanted to see if I could make him a little jealous so I said something totally innocent about Parrish and he got all upset.”

“Ooo bad move, Lydia.” Kira makes a slight face. 

“It wasn’t anything bad!” 

“That depends, what did you say?” Malia asks.

“I don’t even  _ remember.  _ He’s being childish, he’s all hung up over a passive comment!”

“Maybe it was passive to you but if I learned anything from dating him, sometimes he really takes things to heart. Maybe you didn’t mean for him to but he’s a sensitive guy- no _ t _ that guys can’t be sensitive but whatever you said must have given him a bad vibe or something. That kind of reaction doesn’t come from a passive comment.”

“Malia’s right, if he’s really upset maybe he took it the wrong way.”

“I also might have been with Parrish last night at the station and I was still mad so I told him I was there for him when he asked why I was there.”

“And there it is, that takes the cake,” Malia mumbles, Kira nodding. 

 

“Wanna tell us what that was about?” Scott asks.

“She’s such a bitch!” Stiles bursts. “It’s like one second I think she likes me and we’re flirting and being all cute with each other then she goes and totally bombs the idea of us ever being together by telling me she’s sleeping with  _ Parrish  _ of all people. Who does that? Who goes ‘oh he’s flirting with me? Let me respond by telling him I’m  **sleeping** around with an adult!’ and then she thinks she has the nerve to linger around the station, being as loud as she can be and gushing all over him, then when I act polite she totally turns me down like I expected her to be there to  _ see _ me!”

“Stiles calm down,” Scott soothes. 

“What am I doing wrong?” he pleads, turning on his heels, wide eyed and hurt. 

“It’s not your fault,” Mason chips in. “And if anything, maybe she didn’t mean that she was sleeping with him, maybe she was just joking.”

“I said maybe we should do this more often, because we were studying together and she tells me ‘oh I do this and more with Parrish’!” 

“That’s a little suggestive,” Scott agrees.

“Hey maybe she just wanted to grind your nerves a little- like be protective over,” Liam offers and Stiles tilts his head in thought before dismissing the idea.  

“She doesn’t even  _ care.  _ And then she walks over and thinks she can dictate who I want to hang out with- it’s none of her goddamn business who I invite over to my fucking house. _ ” _

“He’s got a good point,” Scott agrees. “Maybe you should just step back for a bit, give it some time, give yourself air to breathe.” 

Stiles nods and sips at his shake before chewing at the straw nervously. “It hurt. Why can’t I just get over her?”

“Because you’re Stiles Stilinski and you love Lydia Martin.”

“Frankly, I’d rather go drown instead of being in love.”

“Not true.”

“Very true.”

“You’re just heartbroken,” Liam counters.

“I’m  _ always  _ heartbroken. Now I just feel fucking empty.”

“That’s… sad,” Mason mumbled. “But nobody is denying you that right.” 

 

Stiles texts Carly at the library and he told her to be at his house, 465 Speller Street, by 4 and that she’d have to be out of there before 5.30 because had to go. He was meeting one of his dad’s bosses later that evening and he didn’t want to be late in any sort of fashion. They would be going to a nice dinner around 7.30 with him, and God, Stiles doesn’t want to ruin his chances here if he can’t find a job in the city and he doesn’t want to ruin his father's chances but making him look bad. 

So Stiles got home, he set up a few snacks on the kitchen table and some drinks, and he waited for Carly to get there, opening the door. Carly has her tote bag hanging around her shoulders and he notices she’s wearing a shirt that’s suggestively lower but he doesn’t allow himself any reason to gaze. He wasn’t that type of guy. 

“You’re timely.”

“Didn’t want to waste any chances of seeing  _ you. _ ”

“Which I’m sure you’ll regret later,” he teases with a smile and she laughs, moving inside of his house. She glances up at the stairs, looks at the pictures on the wall. His house sort of smelled like waffles and bitter coffee. She couldn’t quite place it, though it wasn’t too bad of a smell, it was homey and kind of nice. 

“Where to?”

“Uh the kitchen, it’s just down the hall,” he tells her, leading her down and she makes the move to grab his hand, he moves his hand before she can grab it though. He doesn’t want to give her any sort of signals. 

“It was nice of you to invite me over- to help of course.”

“I’d rather somebody know what they’re doing than flail. And I guess I’ve been feeling kind of shitty lately, so I thought it would be nice to let myself help somebody.”

“I bet I could help you.”

“What do you mean?” He pretended as if he didn’t know where she was going with this, study dates meant sex but he was genuinely willing to help her- not fuck her. Though she shrugs innocently and she leans in on her elbows a bit.

“I could think of one way or another,” she says, batting her eyes at him, glancing to his lips.

“And I think we should just get through your work. I have something important tonight and I’d rather not go with that kind of conscious.”

“What? You’re afraid you can’t stop thinking about me?”

“I’m afraid that it’s something you’re not going to let go. You wanted my help and I’m offering to help you.”

She looks defeated but she nodded, taking one of the glass cola bottles and twisting the top off. “Can we start with Chem?”

“Sure. I’m good at Chem, I’m taking AP right now.”

“Jesus you’re smart.”

“I don’t compare to some others.”

Like certain strawberry blonde geniuses- though he shoots the thought down the minute it comes. He puts himself full hearted into helping Carly with her work, and they actually end up having a really good time. More so than they expected. At some point she started playing music and they created all these things to help her remember Chemistry things- he was almost disappointed she had to leave.

“Hey consider me a friend,” she tells him. “Even if your friends are… weird.”

“They’re not weird they’re just… well I don’t know, I guess they’re weird. But if you need me, I’ll be around.”

“Good,” she nods, leaning up to kiss his cheek. “I’ll see you around?”

“Totally,” he says nodding, a small smile on his lips. He shuts the door, and checks his clock. It was 5.30 on the dot. He decides he could do a quick shower and change before taking his jeep to the station. So he trots upstairs and sheds his clothes in the bathroom before tossing them on top of the hamper, then he turns the shower on, leaves his hand idly waiting under the water until the temperature was right, then he hopped in and shimmied under the water just a bit. He grabs his shampoo and scrubs his hair until it hurts, then rinses and repeats when applying conditioner. He washes down his body then hops out. It was only 5.40 so he brushes out his hair then blow dries it, then brushes it out again. Stiles combs his curls back before deciding to style it just a bit, giving it a nice quiff like he used to do in junior year. 

Stiles went to his room with a towel around his waist and he pulls on underwear before grabbing his skinny jeans from before from the bathroom. He pulls them on and leaves the button open, grabbing a pinkish button up with tiny white crosses dancing over the shirt, the sleeve a short sleeve that rolled up slightly to show the white cuff and he buttons it up before tucking it into his pants and then buttons up and steals a nice belt from his dad- one of the ones he wears to family parties or nice dinners. He puts on his brown dress shoes before spritzing his Nautica Voyage™ cologne, and grabbing his wallet and keys. 

It was about six o’clock when he left, though he was there by six fifteen. Parrish wasn’t there when he arrived, and he figures that he’s somewhere with Lydia- that killed him. Though he smiles when he sees his dad who laughs. “You really cleaned up, looking for an internship recommendation or something out in Austin?”

“I mean was accepted to a few schools, a full ride to Columbia University in New York, so maybe I’ll go there and I’ll get some rec’s in for the city. Wouldn’t that be great? New York City paid internships are well paying and they’re packed with experience. Besides, I want you to look good.”

“Huh… fair enough. Did you get back to any schools yet?”

“I have until may and it’s only the end of January right now. So I guess I’ll have to see.”

“Columbia’s an Ivy League, you know.”

“I know but I also got accepted into Stanford, with a full ride, and I got a partial scholarship from the University of Austin but I also have Aunty Carol there, so I would only be paying for school- since she said I could stay at her house with her husband and her without pay. We’ll have to see.”

“I guess so. But don’t limit yourself to California, you know? It’s college, go out there, have fun. Find a really pretty girl or… a guy or something. Texas is pretty crazy and maybe you’ll like it out there. Or even in New York City, you’re just tough enough to pass by there.”

“But am I crazy enough to? That’s the real question dad.”

The Sheriff laughs and nods. “Yeah that is a real good question. I think if you can put up with Beacon Hills you can lead a life in New York City.”

Stiles nods smiling, sitting beside his dad and sighing. “I got in a fight with Lydia. Or well… we got in a fight and then I guess we’re not really talking anymore.”

“What was the fight about?”

“I tried flirting and then she told me she was sleeping with Parrish.”

“Parrish  _ wishes  _ he could sleep with her. If he really did, I’d throw him a jail cell.”

Stiles melts into a laugh. “I don’t know… it just bothers me. Like why would she do that? I thought she liked me.”

“Maybe she’s afraid. Your mom used to be just as scared, though she never really turned me down. She would just kind of disappear sometimes. Wouldn’t talk to me or wouldn’t plan any dates with me. I’d call her and see what was up or I’d go to the dorm and she would hide in the bathroom while her friends told me she was out. And like you  _ knew  _ she was there but she would never admit it. Then later she would come over and apologize with food or something and start talking about things like she wasn’t ignoring me.”

Stiles laughed. “I miss her.”

“You’re telling me. But you know… she’s never really gone.” 

Stiles nods and smiles at his dad. “I get the same feeling sometimes.”

Sheriff smiles and Stiles smiles back. “I’m going to get some water, I’m a little nervous,” Stiles admits and the Sheriff laughs, patting his back. “Want any?”

“Nah you go ahead, I’ll finish work, alright?”

“Yeah, totally.” 

Stiles nods before pushing his chair back and taking slow steps to the outside of the office. He exits and there’s Lydia, entering on the coattails of Parrish and he doesn’t even make his way to notice them, he just keeps walking, going to grab water. 

Lydia notices and she puts her stuff down by his desk before smiling. “I’ll be right back,” She tells Parrish and he nods. Setting down at his desk and logging into his computer. 

Lydia follows Stiles, entering a small kitchen, where he’s on his phone and holding a glass of water. “Hi.”

Stiles looks up and nods in her direction before turning back to his phone.

“Listen, can we talk?”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Stiles, there’s a lot we need to talk about-”

“I don’t have time for this Lydia. Somebody really important to my dad is about to walk in here. And if it means anything to him or my future career, I ought’a be there in the office-”

“I just need a minute Stiles.” She moves to stop him from leaving through the door.

“Lydia I don’t have time for this-”

“You don’t have time for me?”

Stiles eyes narrow slightly. “As if you deserve my time. You practically ripped my heart out of chest, you might as well spit on my dead body while you’re at it.”

“I didn’t think I’d hurt you that bad- I didn’t mean anything by what I said.”

“Do you even remember what you said?”

“Does it really mattered?”

“Yes! It mattered to me! I thought you… you know it what it doesn’t matter what I thought, I have to go.”

“Not until I’m through talking to you.” 

“Lydia move.”

“No!”

“Why? Why do you care so much if I leave or not?” 

“Because I love you,” she whispers, so faintly that he can’t hear her.

“I’m sorry what?”

“I love you!” Lydia practically yells, her voice deep and sad and Stiles blinks at her, eyes darting all over the place trying to process what she just said. “You don’t even care, you’re over me, I should have never-”

She barely has a chance to blink before Stiles had yanked her by the hip and they’re nose to nose. “Jesus Christ, if you tell me you should have never told me, I think I’d set myself on fire. You’re so  _ oblivious  _ for a smart person.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I’ve been in love with you since the freaking third grade. What was the paranoid hint you made up that told I stopped?”

“I’m not paranoid.” He gives her a look and she nods. “I’m a little paranoid.”

Stiles kind of laughs. “So all this because you were too afraid to open up to me or something?”

“I just wanted to see if it made a difference knowing that I could be seeing other guys.”

“Then you’re a real dedicated actress.”

“Were you serious before?”

“About what?”

“About hurting you?”

“I wasn’t kidding.”

“This doesn’t really fix though, does it?”

“Not really but I guess we both have work to do,” he whispers and she nods, leaning in and meeting his lips, clinging to him by the neck, her arms thrown around him as he holds her hips. She doesn’t even think that Jordan might have come looking for her as she holds Stiles, his lips crushed against hers as she leans back, letting him over her, letting his arms keep her body from collapsing to the ground. She knows he very well might cause them both to tumble but she doesn’t really care; falling with Stiles was the best kind of falling there was- metaphorically speaking. 

And it isn’t a few minutes that they part, the two panting for air, though their foreheads stay pressed together. She feels like she’s breathing new air, Stiles feels as if he’s an entirely different person- Lydia doesn’t think she could have ever imagined what a good kisser he would be. It was totally uncalled for and maybe slightly offensive. 

“Wow…” she breathes and he laughs.

“What?”

“You’re a good kisser. Which… maybe I should have saw coming but also… I really didn’t see it coming.”

“Not half bad yourself.”

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself.”

“Right… sorry,” he mumbles and she smiles pressing her lips to his again. “I uh… I do actually have to go. It’s actually really important.”

“What is it?”

“My dad’s boss, my dad and I are having a dinner tonight and he might be able to rec me for paid internships.”

Lydia nods and she smiles, pulling away and lowering herself back to the ground, her thin heels making little clicking noises when they hit the floor. She smoothes his shirt down, fixes his collar and smiles. “Break a leg,” she wishes.

“Is there a response for that?”

“Thank you is normally the polite way to go.”

“Thank you,” he teases and she smiles. “Uhm… so if this means anything, could I maybe take you out on a date Thursday night?”

“Mmm I’ll have to think about it but in which cases, you should let me know and I’ll get back to you.”

“It’s a done deal.”

He grins and pushes past her to return to his dads office. The Sheriff looks up and Stiles seems a lot more content then when he left. “You alright?”

“I just made out with Lydia.”

Sheriff chuckled, and Stiles seemed to be a bit dazed. “How did that happen?”

“Uhm… there were some love confessions and there were some other things and then we just started kissing.”

“That’s an interesting tactic.”

“I guess you would know, wouldn’t you?”

“I guess I would. Claudia always liked her, if you wanted to know.”

“Lydia?”

“Yeah, she used to say all the time you’d end up with her.”

“Well I guess mom was psychic.”

“I guess maybe she was.”

 

Lydia returns to the desk with Jordan and smiles. “Sorry, I just had to talk to Stiles about something.”

“Oh yeah, was it anything important?” he asks not looking up.

“Yeah it was just… we’ve been upset with each other lately and I value him, you know? I didn’t want to never talk to my best friend again.”

“I see. Did everything work out?” 

He knew very well it worked out- people don’t normally lock lips when it didn’t. Though he wasn’t about to tell her that, considering that he seems to just have misinterpreted her advances. Though he thinks that perhaps she just lead him on, because she was a flirtatious girl and really, she lead him to believe he liked her- but he was just going to let her figure it out. 

“Everything really did work out,” she tells him smiling softly. “I think it worked out better than I thought.”

“Oh yeah?” 

“Yeah. Anyways, history of the hellhound, I found a couple of websites about it and some other mythological references to it-” She continued talking and this time, Parrish tuned her out to the thought if things were different, and really he was just angry he couldn’t have her, though he wishes he could. Lydia looks up when she hears the door to the office open as a tall man with a big belly and a hairy face walks in, Stiles and the sheriff walking out. They exchange smiles and she seems almost shy, her cheeks turning a slight pink in a way they never had for Jordan and she thinks that her heart is beating just a little faster when he smiles, though he seems to be gone as soon as he’s there, she hopes that everything went okay.

 

It’s not until the next day at school that she sees him, leaning against the door of his jeep, on the phone and she leaves the side of her own car (After locking it of course) to join him. 

“Stiles hey,” she cooes and Stiles beams brightly. She’s never seen a smile so beautiful.

“Hey, what’s up?” He asks, sipping from his cup. She notices he’s still not dressed like himself, he’s in a black t-shirt with a target in the center- she recalled that he used to love that shirt with a passion, and he’s in skinny jeans and his NIKE’s again.

“Nothing… whats with the change in dress code?”

Stiles shrugs. “I dunno. Anyways, Mason gave me this really interesting paper about the Mayans and now I’m reading an ebook about the ancient civilizations of south america. It was thirty dollars.”

“You paid thirty dollars for an ebook?” 

“I did, and it’s pretty worth it.”

She laughs and they start walking inside, Stiles pressing his phone into his back pocket. “What have you learned?”

“That sacrifice was real and it was scary. Did you know the aztecs sacrificed an unpredicted amount of people? It’s either as bad as we think, worse than we think or not nearly as as bad as we think. Like nobody actually knows.”

“That’s crazy.” 

He nods and he starts going into something about Aztects and the cruel legacy left on them, but how really, they were a smarter, more modern civilization in a way that we could never be. They go to her locker, since it was closest to the door they entered through and he leans against the locker beside hers, turning to him as she listens, replacing some books.

“And to think, here we are just being humans when we could not be humans at all! We could all be RH aliens.”

“By what circumstance?”

“Getting RH transfused blood, obviously.”

“That could kill you, Stiles. Literally, you’d be dead.”

“Okay, that’s a fair point but if you’re an alien, would you be dead?”

“Yes? No… I don’t know? We’re not aliens?”

“But we could be?”

“But we’re not. I know because I’m a banshee.”

“But what am I? There’s no way god went, ‘yes put this human in a core group of supernaturals,’ like I’m totally something and it’s totally cooler than all of you. I’m a social experiment for my kind. I could be Clark Kent.”

“Superman, you think I’m superman.”

“I’m hot enough to be.”

“Can you fly?”

Stiles thinks for a moment. “That’s a good point you’ve brought up, it’s to be tested and analyzed at a later date in time.”

“Love when you talk dirty to me,” she teased.

Stiles laughed. “So now we’re talking dirty? It’s a good thing to remember for later.”

“Oh my god, Stiles.”

“What else turns you on? Chemistry formulas?”

She laughs. “Those are hot but they’re not as hot as physics formulas.”

“Whoa there you got me!” He teases, holding his hands up and they both laugh and without even thinking, they lean in and exchange a soft, meaningful kiss. 

“I think you got me too.” 

“Good. Thought I’d never had you hooked.” 

She smiles, she’s hooked like a fish out of water, and really, she hopes there’s no way back into the water. She likes breathing air, she likes feeling secure, and really, she doesn’t even think she’s falling anymore, she’s landed flat on the ground and so has he. 


End file.
